# [[Mutalisks]] ![[Mutalisks.svg]] Mutalisks are mutant crab-like aberrations created by [[Jafaki]] through his fleshwarp experiments inside [[The Gauntlight]]. Originally byproducts or test subjects of his work, they have evolved over the course of the campaign — gaining intelligence, environmental control, fusion abilities, and territorial dominance. ## Origin & Role - **Source**: [[Jafaki]]'s fleshwarp experiments in The Gauntlight - **Niche**: A separate experimental line from the dwarven fleshwarp work — focused on aquatic or crustacean creatures (notes from the dungeon indicate ~70% of fleshwarp test subjects were dwarves; mutalisks are *not* part of that line) - **Purpose**: Initially failed or intermediate products; in some areas they were used as resources or test subjects fed to other fleshwarp creations like the [[Irnakurse]] ## Behaviour & Abilities The mutalisks have been observed evolving across encounters. The current picture: - **Intelligence**: Confirmed via Thoughtsense — they *"definitely have thoughts"* and are *"more intelligent than they were before"* - **Environmental manipulation**: Modify their environment, e.g. converting a hexagonal room to be more rocky - **Observation behaviour**: Watch the party with apparent awareness rather than attacking on sight; one stood at the entrance of their hive and quietly watched - **Adaptive appearance**: Can shift their look — initially metallic with reflective surfaces and sparking lightning, later changing to a plain green stonelike appearance similar to what [[Augrael]] displays - **Proximity amplification**: Become stronger when in range of each other (Bond's Recall Knowledge, Session 104) - **Fusion**: A single observing mutalisk can be a fusion of three or more individuals; the fusion can later split or shift back - **Queen mystery**: Bond was unable to learn anything specific about a mutalisk queen, despite attempting to study one for clues ## Territorial Dominance By Session 107, the mutalisks have become effective defenders of their territory against everything else on the level. - **Killed Fleshwarps**: Two dead [[Fleshwarp|Fleshwarps]] were found *outside* the mutalisk hive, killed by the mutalisks - **Killed undead**: The Fleshwarps had risen as undead from the [[Black Hollow Curse]] (one incorporeal, one ghoul-like) and the mutalisks dealt with both - **Plants ally with them**: The plants in the mutalisk room recoil from the [[Graveknight Armor]] when it enters; both the mutalisks *and* the plants leave the Graveknight alone (likely because of its unholy aura) ## Encounters with the Party - **Session 090** — *Mutalisks eaten by gibtas bounders eaten by hydras*: First encounter on a blood-soaked underwater level; many corpses found, some at a door as if trying to escape an unseen amphibious predator ([[090_20250713 Mutalisks eaten by gibtas bounders eaten by hydras]]) - **Session 099** — *The Dwarven Irnakurse*: Fresh mutalisk corpses found alongside undead remains in the Irnakurse's room on Level 5 — used as resource or feed ([[099_20251026 The Dwarven Irnakurse]]) - **Session 103** — *Tomb Jellies in the Dissection Room*: ~10 intelligent mutalisks discovered in a hexagonal room; environmental modification and observation behaviour confirmed; one observes the party's fight from a doorway and shifts appearance entering the room ([[103_20251214 Tomb Jellies in the Dissection Room]]) - **Session 104**: Bond's Recall Knowledge confirms proximity-amplification and fusion; queen mystery remains - **Session 107** — *The Seaweed Knight Rises*: Evidence of mutalisks killing Fleshwarps and undead outside their hive ([[107_20260118 The Seaweed Knight Rises]]) - **Session 108** — *Unintelligent Creatures*: Non-aggression with the Graveknight; the plants shrink from it; suggests an unholy-aura-based avoidance ## Open Questions - Is there a queen, and if so, where is she? - Are the evolution and intelligence Jafaki's design, or something else continuing his experiments? - How does fusion actually work — voluntary, environmental, or triggered? - What does the [[Augrael]]-similar stone appearance imply about a shared evolutionary origin? %% # Excalidraw Data ## Text Elements ## Drawing ```json { "type": "excalidraw", "version": 2, "source": "https://github.com/zsviczian/obsidian-excalidraw-plugin/releases/tag/2.1.4", "elements": [ { "id": "7qSogdPD", "type": "text", "x": 290.3999239206314, "y": -308.87487030029297, "width": 3.8599853515625, "height": 24, "angle": 0, "strokeColor": "#1e1e1e", "backgroundColor": "transparent", "fillStyle": "solid", "strokeWidth": 2, "strokeStyle": "solid", "roughness": 1, "opacity": 100, "groupIds": [], "frameId": null, "roundness": null, "seed": 1894374050, "version": 2, "versionNonce": 2094291134, "isDeleted": true, "boundElements": null, "updated": 1713723608868, "link": null, "locked": false, "text": "", "rawText": "", "fontSize": 20, "fontFamily": 4, "textAlign": "left", "verticalAlign": "top", "containerId": null, "originalText": "", "lineHeight": 1.2 } ], "appState": { "theme": "dark", "viewBackgroundColor": "#ffffff", "currentItemStrokeColor": "#1e1e1e", "currentItemBackgroundColor": "transparent", "currentItemFillStyle": "solid", "currentItemStrokeWidth": 2, "currentItemStrokeStyle": "solid", "currentItemRoughness": 1, "currentItemOpacity": 100, "currentItemFontFamily": 4, "currentItemFontSize": 20, "currentItemTextAlign": "left", "currentItemStartArrowhead": null, "currentItemEndArrowhead": "arrow", "scrollX": 583.2388916015625, "scrollY": 573.6323852539062, "zoom": { "value": 1 }, "currentItemRoundness": "round", "gridSize": null, "gridColor": { "Bold": "#C9C9C9FF", "Regular": "#EDEDEDFF" }, "currentStrokeOptions": null, "previousGridSize": null, "frameRendering": { "enabled": true, "clip": true, "name": true, "outline": true } }, "files": {} } ``` %%